Hall of Shame? Don't get it Twisted!

Whenever my physical education teacher announced that we would be starting the class with Simon says, my eyes widened and I was ecstatic! Mr. Jaffie (my PE teacher in grade school) twisted and molded the game of Simon says into his very own. There was no shame to his style of the game. Only smiles, exercises, and cognitive interaction. Mr Jaffie's style was unlike any other. His lightning speed during the game was the first indication of his commitment to keeping the game alive. I never remember him taking more then half a second to go into the next "Simon says do this." Kids were engaged into the faster pace of the game because they like the challenge. Even if they made a mistake, Mr. Jaffie assigned a physical activity for them to complete in order to get back into the game. Simon says was not necessarily about winning, but about movement and repetition, awareness, and cardio. Not only was this game a good cardiovascular activity, it triggered the mind. The rapid pace forced students to concentrate, listen, and absorb instruction quicker than normal. This could benefit them in the future. Thinking fast and performing tasks with little time to think about them are methods used during sports. This game stimulated my reflexes and it’s possible that it contributed to my accomplishments in athletics.